Licensing Laws

Ms Glenda Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his response to the consultation document on modernising licensing laws. [147876]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We are grateful to all those who commented on the White Paper, "Time for Reform", which we published last year; and have been considering them with care. We intend to announce within the next few weeks how we propose to proceed.

Ms Glenda Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account he will take of local authority administrative costs when formulating new regulations for the proposed new licensing regime. [147877]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Under the proposals for reform of the licensing laws set out in our White Paper, "Time for Reform", the costs of administering the new licensing system would be recovered in full through fees from licensees. We shall continue to discuss fee structures with the Local Government Association and other interested bodies.

Public Interest Immunity Certificates

Sir Nicholas Lyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public interest immunity certificates (a) he, (b) Ministers of State, (c) junior Ministers and (d) civil servants in his Department have signed in each calendar year from 30 May 1997. [147730]

Mr. Straw:
In the calendar year from 30 May 1997, I signed seven public interest immunity certificates. In addition, one certificate was signed by a Minister of State at the Home Office.

In the calendar year from 30 May 1998, I signed six such certificates.

In the calendar year from 30 May 1999, I signed seven such certificates.

In the calendar year from 30 May 2000, I have signed four such certificates.

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No such certificates have been signed by junior Ministers or civil servants in this period nor, with the exception of one such certificate signed in the calendar year from 30 May 1997, by a Minister of State.

These figures do not include certificates which may, exceptionally, have been issued and considered by the court without notice of their existence being given to the other parties in the case.

Police Volunteers

Mr. Ian Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken on supporting volunteers who work for the police, with special reference to staffing police stations. [147979]

Mr. Charles Clarke:
No central support has been provided specifically for volunteers who staff police stations. The staffing of police stations by civilian volunteers is a result of local community initiatives between the police, the civilian volunteers, and civilian volunteer organisations.

The use of such volunteers by the police is an operational issue to be decided by the Chief Officer of a police force. The matter is most effectively addressed at a local rather than national level, as it is local needs that are being served. Many forces make use of civilian volunteers although the work they undertake varies.

I appreciate the work volunteers undertake to support the police. Such work is an excellent example of the community and the police working together.

Fire Service (Communications Systems)

Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of digital trunked radio technologies for the Fire Service as a replacement radio system developed specifically to cater for voice communications and data message transfer. [147627]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Home Office has procured specialist consultancy advice on how fire authorities can best meet their future mobile communications and control room requirements. Guidance to fire authorities on control room requirements has already been published; further guidance on radio bearer systems will be published shortly.

Digital trunked solutions to the fire service's requirements have been considered as have other options. Future procurements by authorities are expected to be undertaken on the basis of competition against an output-based specification related to performance.

Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what approach will be used in the procurement process for future radio systems for the fire service; and what assistance will be offered to the Fire Service to meet best value targets. [147628]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I have recently consulted representatives of the Local Government Association and the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association about how to ensure that fire authorities secure value for

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 174W

money in procuring their future communications systems, particularly replacement radio bearer systems. I have since written to those representatives and am now seeking the agreement of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its meeting on 6 February to the strategy that has been proposed. I am sending a copy of that letter, which sets out the intended strategy, to my hon. Friend and am also placing copies in the Library.

Ministers of Religion (House of Commons)

Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the categories of ministers of religion who are barred from becoming hon. Members, indicating the statutory basis for their debarment; what plans he has to review the laws to revoke their prohibition; and if he will make a statement. [147703]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The statutory provisions which bar ministers of religion from becoming hon. Members are set out in the House of Commons (Clergy Disqualification) Act 1801 and section 9 of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829. The clergy referred to in these two enactments are

"person(s) having been ordained to the officer of priest or deacon, or being a minister of the Church of Scotland"
and
"person(s) in holy orders in the Church of Rome."

The House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Bill was introduced in the House on 25 January. It removes disqualification from membership of the House of Commons that arises by reason of a person having been ordained or being a minister of religious denomination, but continues the disqualification of Lords Spiritual.

Public Disorder (Fixed Penalty Notices)

Mr. Heald:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place the responses to 'Reducing Public Disorder-The Role of Fixed Penalty Notices', in the Library. [147399]

Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 26 January 2001]: I am making arrangements for copies of the responses to the consultation paper to be placed in the Library shortly. The responses will be held in the Library for six months.

Criminal Justice and Police Bill

Mr. Heald:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in (a) 1999 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available (i) how many persons aged over 18 years were (1) charged and (2) convicted of each of the offences listed in Clause 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Bill, (ii) how many persons aged under 18 years were so (1) charged and (2) convicted, and (iii) what was the average age of those so (1) charged and (2) convicted. [147476]

Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 26 January 2001]: Information on the number of persons charged is not available centrally.

However, available information taken from the Home Office court proceedings database on the number of persons prosecuted or convicted is given in the tables.

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The 'average' age of defendants prosecuted or offenders convicted cannot be determined for summary offences because unreported ages or dates of birth, or incompatible ages for sentences given, are converted to

30 Jan 2001 : Column: 176W

age 25 on the court proceedings database. However, it is possible to make approximate calculations of the 'median' age from the figures available (where an age has been given). These are shown in Table C.

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Table A: Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences as listed in Clause 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Bill by age, England and Wales, 1999

Age and offence description

Total proceeded against

Total convicted

Aged under 18(25)

Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872

71

52

Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875

15

9

Section 31 of the Fire Services Act 1947

19

16

Sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act--not available separately

243

178

Section 169c(3) of the Licensing Act 1964

1

--

Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967

2,473

1,698

Section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967

4

4

Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971--summary only

9,323

6,092

Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984--subsection 1.b not available separately

123

75

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986--excludes offence of racially aggravated (this section as amended by Crime and Disorder Act)

4,047

2,500

Aged 18 and over(25)

Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872

3,442

3,082

Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875

26

17

Section 31 of the Fire Services Act 1947

57

47

Sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act--not available separately

1,664

1,327

Section 169c(3) of the Licensing Act 1964

5

3

Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967

28,579

23,174

Section 5(2) of the Criminal law Act 1967

69

49

Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971--summary only

31,297

21,796

Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984--subsection 1.b not available separately

1,110

645

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986--excludes offence of racially aggravated (this section as amended by Crime and Disorder Act)

20,851

14,452

(25) Information received concerning summary offences does not always record the age or date of birth of the defendant. As such, these data are estimated to be aged 25 on the Home Office court proceedings database.

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Table B: Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences as listed in Clause 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Bill by age, England and Wales, Q1 20001

Age and offence description

Total proceeded against

Total convicted

Aged under 18(26)

Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872

13

13

Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875

9

6

Section 31 of the Fire Services Act 1947

3

2

Sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act--not available separately

46

34

Section 169c(3) of the Licensing Act 1964

--

--

Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967

563

431

Section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967

2

1

Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971--summary only

2,529

1,734

Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984--subsection 1.b not available separately

28

23

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986--excludes offence of racially aggravated (this section as amended by Crime and Disorder Act)

1,023

691

Aged 18 and over(26)

Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872

629

563

Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875

19

14

Section 31 of the Fire Services Act 1947

17

13

Sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act--not available separately

359

283

Section 169c(3) of the Licensing Act 1964

1

1

Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967

6,446

5,083

Section 5(2) of the Criminal law Act 1967

29

24

Section 191) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971--summary only

8,036

5,682

Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984--subsection 1.b not available separately

226

137

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986--excludes offence of racially aggravated (this section as amended by Crime and Disorder Act)

5,657

3,416

(26) Provisional

(27) Information received concerning summary offences does not always record the age or date of birth of the defendant. As such, these data are estimated to be aged 25 on the Home Office court proceedings database.

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Table C: Median age(28) of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences as listed in Clause 1 of the Criminal Justice and Police Bill by age, England and Wales, 1999 and Q1 2000(29)

1999

Q1 2000(29)

Age and offence description

Prosecution

Conviction

Prosecution

Conviction

Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872

39

39

39

39

Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875

19

18

18

18

Section 31 of the Fire Services Act 1947

23

22

28

28

Sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act--not available separately

22

22

22

22

Section 169c(3) of the Licensing Act 1964

18

18

35

35

Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967

26

26

26

26

Section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967

29

29

29

29

Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971--summary only

23

23

22

22

Section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984--subsection 1.b not available separately

31

30

31

28

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986--excludes offence of racially aggravated (this section as amended by Crime and Disorder Act)

24

24

22

22

(28) Information received concerning summary offences does not always record the age or date of birth of the defendant. As such, these data are estimated to be aged 25 on the Home Office court proceedings database.